Accuracy: 10 m (32 ft)

Click on any of the images for the full-sized picture.

This was one of the more difficult Confluences we have completed. It is located far from any towns or villages. The Confluence itself is located in a forest at the edge of a seasonal bajo or swamp. For this reason, it would be almost impossible to visit at any other time of year.

Confluence Situation

This Confluence is in the very southern portion of Quintana Roo. The terrain of the region is rolling hills with forest and swampy low laying areas. Much of the surrounding area is forest, but it is rapidly being cut down for cattle farming and sugar cane production. The Confluence is about 1 kilometer north of the dirt access road and about 1.5 kilometer northeast of the closest border point with Belize.

Since the Confluence sits in a forest the photos of the site are not particularly exciting!

Travel to the Confluence

We started the day in Xpujil and drove east for an hour to Ucum. There we turned south, passing by a series of smaller towns and sugar cane fields. After another hour we turned west on an unmarked dirt road. We took this dirt road for 1.5 hours traveling through a combination of forest and more recently cleared ranch land.

We found the spot along the dirt road that was closest to the Confluence and then drove a bit more to see if there were any paths that led towards the Confluence. There were not. At this point we were 1 kilometer south of the Confluence.

We packed up our backpacks and grabbed the machetes - we would need to bushwhack 1 kilometer through very thick forest. About 200 meters into the forest we ran into the swamp. Luckily, at this time of year the swamp was dry. Unluckily, the swamp was full of a grassy vine that has razor sharp leaves and as a result we sustained a significant number of cuts to our forearms and hands. It took over an hour of cutting a trail with our machetes to reach the Confluence.

At the confluence we were able to obtain an exact GPS reading of 18.00.000 89.00.000. We rested for a few minutes, took our photos and started to head back. The walk back was slightly easier as we were able to follow our machete cuts.

The confluence would be virtually impossible to access without a team of macheteros during the wet season. It is possible that at some point in the future that the Confluence will become ranch land where it could be easily walked to.

Side Trips

There are several points of interest worth visiting near the Confluence, including:

Rio Ixno-ha - located another 1-2 kilometers west on the dirt access road, this is a pleasant place to stop and take a break. The Rio Ixno-ha is a tributary of the Rio Hondo, which forms the border between Mexico and Belize. At this point we were 1 kilometer north of the Belize border. The Rio Ixno-Ha flows seasonally and at this time of year is a series of elongated ponds. The road ends at the Ixno-ha even though it was possible to cross in several areas.

Rancho Dos Corozones - when viewing Google Earth we noticed some Maya ruins in a clearing about 2.5 kilometers northeast of the Confluence. After finishing the Confluence we decided to visit them. We followed another dirt road to Rancho Dos Corozones which is owned by Julio and his brother. We talked for a while with Julio and he gave us permission to see the ruins. They consisted of ruined mounds in two identifiable groupings. There is no standing architecture and they are only visible due to Dos Corozones being a cattle ranch. Julio also confirmed there is a dirt track that goes northwest to the town of Tomas Garrido, but it is in very poor condition.

La Union - is another nice side trip and is located along the Rio Hondo. It is possible to cross into Belize and get a taxi to the ruins of Blue Creek or Lamanai. The crossing is by boat, so you would need to leave your car in La Union.